Reviews

Dragon Flight by Jessica Day George

bkwrm127's review against another edition

3.0

A good sequel to Dragon Slippers. Satisfying ending and a chance to reconnect with favorite characters. I like spunky Creel. A good clean read for younger teens.

kslhersam's review against another edition

3.0

I had a hard time remembering the first book in this series since I read it a few years ago. This was a fast read, but nothing amazing. There is a little romance, and I mean a little. I wished there had been more interaction between Luka and Creel. I may still read the 3rd book in the series though.

My favorite book by Jessica Day George so far has been Princess of the Midnight Ball.

bookish_otaku's review

3.5

 
3.5/5

Includes: dragons, slow burn romance, strong female lead

I'm trying to score this fairly knowing that it's a bit of a dated middle grade read. I think this was a fairly strong second book, but also do not feel like it had the same amount of magic that the first book possessed. Perhaps this is partially because Creel is feeling jaded by her life as a dressmaker, or perhaps it's that the charm of the detailed descriptions of her dresses have lost their enchanting feature as they start to feel a little repetitive. But that's not necessarily the main bit.

George took the opportunity to further expand the world beyond Feravelian borders as alchemy once again mixes horribly with dragons and war appears inevitable. I have to say I'm a little confused as to how the people of Citatie are racially coded. Apparently the fashion is wearing the hair in braids, but the hair is light enough to be dyed pink and blue. Gosh I just wish there was some diversity, but then of course the royal family is written as "simple" so maybe I don't want there to be diversity, at least not from the Citatian people. It also felt a little weird with Creel wearing braids, but within the context of the book I understand she is doing it to blend in and not in a disrespectful way, so in the context of this world it is okay. I do wonder why George chose braids, but I'll assume the best of intentions.

The plot twists were pretty good (predictable because of popular tropes, but fun all the same, especially for younger readers) but I wish there had been a little more build up in the first book or even earlier in the second so that it didn't feel a little too much like last minute planning. It felt a tiny bit like there was a hat of tropes that she pulled some ideas from and fit them into the story. They worked well, and I will give leeway because it is a middle grade, but it won't stop me from wishing there had been some subtle indication that this had been planned all along.

Creel and Luka do not get as much screen time as in the first book, and honestly, looking back, I think there could definitely be more of them in both books. Their relationship is cute, but I wish we could see a bit more organic growth beyond the "he blushed" and maybe understand some of what's going through his head and his own insecurities. Alas we only know Creel who, after a while, can sometimes feel a bit shrill? Idk, I wish we got to see some real personal arc for her but I'm not sure how she actually changes, I guess that makes this a very plot driven story.

As always, George's writing has really good pace and is beautifully done. It flows so nicely and makes the books that much easier to devour, but I do wish there had been more depth of characters and some sort of indication that the plot twists were fully intentional. Also the diversity, feels like it's really not there. I can't give the excuse that the book is old because diversity should just come naturally, sadly. Would I still recommend this for people to read? Yes, of course, but there are definitely points that could be improved because no piece of work is perfect. 

holtfan's review against another edition

3.0

I certainly liked it, the writing is charming, but perhaps wasn't as good as the first one.

maidmarianlib's review against another edition

5.0

Sequel to Dragon Slippers. Practically perfect in every way and very satisfying. Just what you want from a sequel. I loved how it did not start off right were the other left off, but still gave you what you needed to know. Characters were greatly expanded. Lots of great action scenes.

theresamm's review against another edition

5.0

I remember when I found out this book existed. I was so excited I think I cried happy tears and probably did a happy dance in front of my entire fourth grade class. (There was a picture of the Dragon Flight cover on the back of a Dragon Slippers paperback I had convinced a friend of mine to get from the magical Scholastic book order. Even at nine years old I was singing this series's praises) Though I think the first book is the best one, I still love Dragon Flight. It's just as exciting, just as fun, just as intriguing as the first book. I can't put in words how much I love the characters, and I especially love the dragons. Each one had a different personality that we get to explore more in this book. Shardas has got to be one of my favorite characters of all time, and Creel follows close behind. And of course my heart will always be Luka's ;) Overall a great sequel!

jmh's review against another edition

4.0

The sequel to Dragon Slippers gets a higher score due to fewer inaccurate needlework details.

elevetha's review against another edition

4.0

The sequel to "Dragon Slippers." I liked it a little tiny bit less than the first one. This time, Luka is in a neighboring kingdom when he notices that there are a lot of collared dragons being assembled into an army. He writes back home that things are a little strange and Creel immediately decides to fly out there. Marta and others tag along as well. The main villain in this one, without saying to much, is a relation of one of the main characters. I loved how she wrote the villain and the family member that we already know. And the gold and blue dragon story line = AMAZING. Loved it!

minxlette's review against another edition

4.0

This was actually my favorite of the two sequels, though the original still won my heart the most. The issues in this particular book are engaging and turn the tables on the "humans enslaving dragons" from the first book, but I enjoyed the twist and Creel's reaction to it. The ending was a bit rough for me and while completely understandable that a king would want to boot the dragons out of his nation for the sake of safety, I found his unwillingness to bend on dragon's being reasonable and thoughtful creatures irritating given that he was sitting in the garden with one talking to them. The removal of them, thus, seems a little contrived in the face of the evidence presented and left me irritated.

Overall, same as Dragon Slippers - great adventure, characters, and I want to go make dresses that are that beautiful.

spottedzebra0's review against another edition

adventurous funny inspiring lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0